Chapter 30: Environmental Emergencies Flashcards
The rate and amount of heat loss or gain by the body can be modified in three ways. Which of the following is not one of those three ways?
- Increase or decrease heat production.
- Move to an area where heat loss is decreased or increased.
- Drink lots of hot drinks.
- Wear insulated clothing.
- Drink lots of hot drinks.
A number of factors will affect how a person deals with a cold or hot environment. Which one of the following is NOT true?
- Small infants have poor thermoregulation at birth and do not have the ability to shiver and generate heat.
- Young children dehydrate quicker and need stimulants to counteract their dehydration.
- Poor circulation contributes to increased heat loss and gain in either environment.
- Medications taken by older persons can also affect their bodies’ thermostats, putting them at higher risk for hot or cold problems.
- Young children dehydrate quicker and need stimulants to counteract their dehydration.
At what age do young children have the ability to shiver and generate heat?
ages 12 months to 18 months
Recording specific results of your early assessment is particularly valuable in which condition?
hypothermic
Signs and symptoms of hypothermia generally become progressively more severe as:
the body core temperature falls
mild hypothermia will occur at which temperature?
90-95 degrees
All patients who are severely injured are at risk for hypothermia. The first step of five steps listed to prevent further cold injury is:
remove the patient from the cold environment as promptly as possible
After prolonged exposure to the cold, the skin may be freezing while the deeper tissues are unaffected. This condition is called:
frostnip
Which of the following is the most common serious illness caused by heat?
- heat cramps
- heatstroke
- heat exhaustion or heat prostration
- heat hypoevaporation
heat exhaustion or heat prostration
Why is it important to continue resuscitation efforts on a victim of a cold water drowning until the patient is pronounced dead by a physician?
Cold water drowning victims can sometimes be successfully resuscitated after a prolonged period.
Why is it important that the victim of a snake bite remain calm?
remaining calm slows the spread of venom through the body
What is the transfer of body heat to a colder object by direct contact called?
conduction
Hot, dry, flushed skin is a sign of:
heatstroke
Cold illness can be either a ___ or a ____ problem.
Cold illness can be either a local or a systemic problem.
Local cold injuries include ____ , ____, and _____
Local cold injuries include frostbite, frostnip, and immersion foot.
_____ is the most serious local cold injury because tissues actually freeze.
Frostbite
All patients with a local cold injury should be _____ and _____
removed from the cold and protected from further exposure.
If instructed to do so by medical control, rewarm frostbitten parts by immersing them in water at a temperature between ______.
100°F and 112°F (38°C and 44.5°C)
D. The key to treating hypothermic patients is to ____ and _____. Do not attempt to rewarm patients who have moderate to severe hypothermia because they are prone to developing arrhythmias.
stabilize vital functions and prevent further heat loss
Do not consider a patient dead until he or she is ____ and dead
warm
The body’s regulatory mechanisms normally maintain body temperature within a ____ range around 98.6°F (37°C).
very narrow
Body temperature is regulated by _______ via conduction, convection, evaporation, radiation, and respiration.
heat loss to the atmosphere
Heat illness can take three forms: _____, _____, and _____
heat cramps, heat exhaustion, and heatstroke.
_____ are painful muscle spasms that occur with vigorous exercise.
heat cramps
Treatment for heat cramps includes removing the patient from the heat, resting the affected muscles, and _____
replacing lost fluids.
______ is essentially a form of hypovolemic shock caused by dehydration.
Heat exhaustion
Symptoms of heat exhaustion include cold and clammy skin, weakness, confusion, headache, and rapid pulse. Body temperature can be high, and the patient may or may not still be sweating. Treatment includes _______
and treating for mild hypovolemic shock.
removing the patient from the heat
_____ is a life-threatening emergency, usually fatal if untreated.
Heatstroke
Patients with heatstroke are usually ____ and will have high body temperatures. Changes in mental status can include ___. Rapid_________ in the field is critical.
Patients with heatstroke are usually dry and will have high body temperatures. Changes in mental status can include coma. Rapid lowering of the body temperature in the field is critical.
H. The first rule in caring for drowning victims is to be sure not to become a victim yourself. ____ when removing patients from the water because spinal cord injuries often occur in drownings. Be aware of the possibility of hypothermia.
protect the spine
Be aware of the possibility of _____ with drowning victims
hypothermia
Injuries associated with scuba diving may be immediately apparent or may show up ____.
hours later
Patients with air embolism or decompression sickness may have pain, paralysis, or _____. Be prepared to transport such patients to a recompression facility with a ____
altered mental status, hyperbaric chamber.
A person who has been bitten by a pit viper needs prompt transport; ______ and _____ to slow the spread of venom.
clean the bite area and keep the patient quiet
Notify the hospital as soon as possible if a patient has been bitten by a coral snake; its venom can cause paralysis of the _____, and most hospitals do not have appropriate ____ on hand.
nervous system, antivenom
Patients who have been bitten by ticks may be infected with _____ or ____ and should see a doctor within a day or two. Remove the tick using tweezers, and save it for identification.
Rocky Mountain spotted fever or Lyme disease
Always provide _______ for any patient who has been bitten by a poisonous insect or animal. Remember that vital signs can deteriorate rapidly. Carefully monitor the patient’s vital signs en route, especially for _____
prompt transport to the hospital, airway compromise.
Always provide _______ for any patient who has been bitten by a poisonous insect or animal. Remember that vital signs can deteriorate rapidly. Carefully monitor the patient’s vital signs en route, especially for _____
prompt transport to the hospital, airway compromise.
The loss of body heat due to circulating air is an example of ____________.
convection
What mechanism is used to generate body heat during hypothermia?
Shivering
At what core body temperature does shivering cease?
90°F (32°C)
How does frostbite differ from frostnip?
Tissues are frozen in frostbite.
What are the two most efficient ways the body can cool itself?
Sweating and the dilation of blood vessels
What condition results from the body’s normal cooling mechanisms becoming overwhelmed?
heatstroke
What is the first step in treating the patient with heatstroke?
Move the patient out of the hot environment.
How does near drowning differ from drowning?
Near drowning is at least temporary survival after suffocation in water.
What is the most common and dangerous scuba diving emergency?
Air embolism
What type of spider has venom that is neurotoxic?
Black widow